Barkley v. City of Detroit

514 N.W.2d 242 (1994)

From our private database of 46,300+ case briefs, written and edited by humans—never with AI.

Barkley v. City of Detroit

Michigan Court of Appeals
514 N.W.2d 242 (1994)

  • Written by Sharon Feldman, JD

Facts

Nine Detroit police officers (collectively, the officers) (plaintiffs) and the City of Detroit (the city) (defendant) were sued in separate civil suits alleging police misconduct. The officers could be represented by the city’s law department if the lawsuits involved the officers’ good-faith performance of their official duties. The city council determined whether an officer would be represented, and the law department was to represent the officer until an adverse determination. Under the officers’ collective-bargaining agreement, the determination was subject to arbitration, and representation was to be provided until the arbitration proceeding concluded. The officers brought an action seeking a declaratory judgment regarding the city’s obligation to provide them with legal counsel. The trial court held that (1) a conflict of interest arises when the city council refuses representation and the employee challenges that decision through arbitration; (2) once a conflict arises, the city should pay for the employee to be represented by independent counsel; and (3) no conflict exists before an adverse determination. On appeal, the officers argued that a conflict arises when the law department represents both the city and the employee in the underlying suit while arguing to the city council that representation should not be provided.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Hood, J.)

What to do next…

  1. Unlock this case brief with a free (no-commitment) trial membership of Quimbee.

    You’ll be in good company: Quimbee is one of the most widely used and trusted sites for law students, serving more than 815,000 law students since 2011. Some law schools even subscribe directly to Quimbee for all their law students.

  2. Learn more about Quimbee’s unique (and proven) approach to achieving great grades at law school.

    Quimbee is a company hell-bent on one thing: helping you get an “A” in every course you take in law school, so you can graduate at the top of your class and get a high-paying law job. We’re not just a study aid for law students; we’re the study aid for law students.

Here's why 815,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:

  • Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 46,300 briefs, keyed to 988 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
  • The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
  • Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
  • Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.

Access this case brief for FREE

With a 7-day free trial membership
Here's why 815,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:
  • Reliable - written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students
  • The right length and amount of information - includes the facts, issue, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents
  • Access in your class - works on your mobile and tablet
  • 46,300 briefs - keyed to 988 casebooks
  • Uniform format for every case brief
  • Written in plain English - not in legalese and not just repeating the court's language
  • Massive library of related video lessons - and practice questions
  • Top-notch customer support

Access this case brief for FREE

With a 7-day free trial membership